Santa Cruz-based singer-songwriter Stephen Foster captivates on his new EP, Sun to Rise, with a sound that spans from the title track’s radiant folk/rock cohesion to the eerily haunting nostalgia of his take on “Chim Chim Cher-ee.” Consistent throughout is a knack for inviting, emotionally resonating songwriting, often with enjoyable shades of Elliott Smith.
The EP’s opening title track enamors with a hypnotic, melodic glow — consuming with a mixture of hazy acoustic strums, twangy guitar touches, and harmonious vocals; the result sounds like an enjoyable cross between Elliott Smith and Teenage Fanclub. Foster sings amidst the layered guitar work, “Come out of the dark and into the blue,” Foster sings, conveying themes of leaving doubt and conformity behind to embrace inner potential and lasting human connection. Soaring, wordless vocals traverse enjoyably into a sating conclusion, leading into the subsequent “In Our Moments,” conveying a more minimalist, serene folk production amidst lyrical sentiments longing for spiritual refuge and belonging/home: “When will we go home? God, we’re so alone.”
An enjoyable mystique then shows within a cover of the Mary Poppins classic “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” where twinkling keys and steady acoustics intermingle alongside sporadic whistling. EP finale “Untitled” is another heartrending success, where calming guitar and solemn vocal questioning — “will I see you, before this life goes around?” — convey a search for something lost, and yearning for a moment of unforgettable connection. Sun to Rise is an impactful folk success from Stephen Foster.
—
“Untitled” and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
